Muslim Politics in 2013

In his recent article entitled “Who is Muslim” that published in Al-Jazeera Online, Hamid Dabasi arguing on the common ground perspective about political tension in Egypt. According to Dabasi, voting for Morsi is nothing to do to vote for Islam, and vice versa. Dabasi main argument is the secular is also Muslim, and Ikhwanul Muslim is not represent the Muslim interest, it represent specific group with specific political affiliation, based on specific experience.

Even though the Ḥizb Al-Ḥurriya Wal-’Adala the Ikhwanul Muslim political wing won the election they still faced a huge political tension, not only against the secular but also conservative Salafy that well funded by the Saudis. In 2013, Ikhwanul Muslim will be in the hot spot of political debate among scholars and politicians. Even though Debasi is right that Ikhwanul Muslim is not represent all of the Muslim community in Egypt, but the Ikhwan represent the modern Islamic politic in post Arab Spring country.

For long-time, political organization such as Ikhwanul Muslim gain benefit through engaging their political slogan with Islam, it happened in other countries such as Pakistan, Iran, Malaysia and Indonesia. Even though some organization gain political support by their popularity in supporting Islamic nuance, some other are not.

In Indonesia for example for the last five years Indonesian has becoming more religious than before. Muslim is often gathering for collective ritual such as Majelis Taklim in Mosque or other public spare, the Sharia Banking product is also increasing, more and more youth Muslim expressing their religion through social and political activity. Islamic organizations such as Muhammadiyah, NU, DDII gains so many supporters. Those organization is involved directly into the major problems of Muslim community, they build school and education centre, empowering the Muslim community in rural area, they becoming very popular among the Muslim community in Indonesia. However the Rising of Islam in Indonesia does not follow by the Islamic Political Party.

The Islamic Parties in Indonesia are considered failed in 2009 national election. From the share in the parliament PKS (Prosperous Justice Party) gain 7% and PPP (United Development Party) gain 5%, the other parties PAN (National Mandate Party) and PKB (National Awakening Party) prefer to stay as secular-nationalist party with Islamic nuance. The problem of Islamic Party in Indonesia is they don’t really touch the fundamental issue among Muslim community, which are poverty and access to education. In daily political practice, the Islamic party is seems to stay away from that issue and also from national issue such as corruption, labour issue, and democracy. The Islamic parties often focusing their work on implementing Sharia Law.

Sharia Law whatsoever is a product of political experience from 20^th century in era of postcolonial in Mid East. The establishment of Sharia Law is different, depending on the Islamic Political experience and Islamic teaching in each country. Iran, Pakistan and Saudi are practicing different system of Sharia Law.

The focus of Islamic teaching in Indonesia is quite different from the spirit of Sharia Law that spread in Mid East, Islamic teaching in Indonesia focusing on Fiqih (four Mazhab) and Adab (Self Ethic), that already been taught before 20^th century. Indonesia has a different Islamic experience with Mid East, that’s why the Sharia law is unpopular in Indonesia. However the spirit of Islamic teaching is indeed influencing Indonesia constitution and administration, the first point of Pancasila and the establishment of Religious Court are the example.

This unique condition of Indonesian Muslim is failed to recognize by the most of Islamic Political Party. The PKS has the best cadres program among other parties, most of the scholars from Tarbiyah Party (PKS) failed to recognize this situation.

The PKS its self is formed with the spirit of Ikhwanul Muslim, most of the PKS Scholars is well familiar with the Ikhwanul Muslim thinker, the next issue is they cannot reproduce the Ikhwanul Muslim thought into Indonesia context. On the other hand the party elites becoming too pragmatic. However if we talked about the Islamic Political Party, PKS still the strongest Party with loyal and well-trained cadres.

The other Islamic Political Party, PPP, is struggling to go out from the image of pro-government party in post new order era. The PPP seems hard to find new and young figure, frankly speaking they doesn’t even have a figure.

However the decline of Islamic Political Party will not affected the Muslim Politicians, Scholars and public intellectuals. Muhammadiyah and NU is getting more popular among the Muslim Community, even to the non-Muslim. Muslim intellectuals such as Komarudin Hidayat, Anis Baswedan, Din Syamsudin, famously known as National figure rather than Islamic Figure.

Muslim voters also getting sure on their political perspective and interest, the DKI Jakarta Governor election is the proof on how Muslim community used their voice, not based on unrealistic sentimental reason, but based on ability and performance of the candidate.

In 2013, we may see another significant progress on Islamic Politics. The Islamic Political Party will repair their image and looking for more significant program toward the Muslim community. Meanwhile the Muslim community will enter the stage where their interest will be politicize by the politicians for national election in 2014. That’s where the Indonesian Muslim will exercise their political maturity to resist any form of political commodification.

At international level, the Muslim community also faced similar things, Palestine now non-state observer in UN, Ikhwanul Muslim still struggling to run democracy in Egypt, Iran-Israel tension and Arab Uprising in Mid East, all will allure a debate among Muslim Scholars around the world. There will be many challenges to the Muslim world upfront. Moreover there is a huge probability that the Muslim self-political identity will change, scholarship and intellectuals movement will plays a major part rather than an Islamic Political party.

Just like what Debasi mention at the end of his article: “This world and its fragility require a renewed pact, a planetary self-reflection, a manner and mood of entrusting itself to itself. Thinking through this possibility requires a new agency I wish to identify with the category of a Muslim intellectual, rooted in a renewed organicity that must be conscious of its worldliness.”

South Yemen social Crisis

For at least the last 5 months US has conducted 15 drone strike in various regions of Yemen, especially in Abyan Province. Us official believe that the attacked was targeting the radical Islamist in the region. The Yemeni authority shared the same opinion.

Many Yemenis feel quite sure about the political reformation in their country after Ali Abdullah Shaleh step down from power, however the optimism turn bitter after Abd Rabbuh Mansur Al-Hadi took power in February 2012, he was Ali Abdullah Shaled vice president. The worst part of Al-Hadi administration is they refused to focuses on bureaucracy reformation and fix the public services, rather than fix all of those issues he is focusing on fighting the Islamist in southern Yemen.

This war on Islamist in southern Yemen especially Abyan Provinces has caused Yemen more than it should. So many people whom nothing to do with the radical Islamist abused by the drone strikes, the other is felt terrorize and unsafe.

Both Yemen government and US has exaggerated the issue in the Abyan Province. Indeed there are a number of radical groups that gain support from the poverty and unequal social opportunities in the region. Those circumstances give an advantage to the radical organization such as al-Qaeda to recruit new member.

The other issue in Abyan is the Somalia pirates. The pirates frequently selling weapons in open market. The pirates dock in Aden port and travel freely around the southern province, without any government official tries to stop them. This condition supports the social tense and criminal act in the region. On the other hand, Yemen have thirty-four percent on unemployed, forty-five percent live bellow the United Nations poverty line, fifty percent are illiterate.

Until now there is no specific plan from the Yemen authority to tackle social issue in the south, on the other hand US seems not really interest with the social issue, they prefer the cowboy way to solve things, with drone strike. US should learn from experienced in Afghanistan and Iraq, that the hard way is not goanna brings any significant result for peace and stability. The best way to handle south Yemen is with negotiation and full package of social policy especially toward poverty and inequality. Meanwhile the Yemen government needs to reform its administrative system. Corruption and incompetent official are the big issue in Sana’a.

Where the Jasmine revolution will go?

 

Every intellectual seem share a common view about the Jasmine revolution in Egypt and Tunisia. The Jasmine revolution is a package of social movement that contains with specific agenda and conscious act. There are some components that make Jasmine revolution more valuable that other uprising in Mid East. First the protesters are reluctant to use violent act. Second there is a strong consciousness among protesters about what they fight for, they main focus is to topple the corrupt regime and demand for new order that provide an equal opportunities in all level of social life. Third the massive role of social media such as Twitter and Facebook is proof that the protesters need to connect its reason and share motivation, moreover their projecting a common purpose. However the Jasmine revolution in Egypt and Tunisia are not done yet, its still struggling to find form for their revolution, even after Mubarak and Ben Ali fall.

The objectives of Jasmine revolution are far much more difficult to manage rather than other social unrest in Mid-East. For example, the uprising in Yemen and Libya are easily taken over by tribes and sect issue. The opposition leaders in Yemen is still struggling to find a common reason about the revolution, even after Ali Abdullah Saleh step down. On the other hand, the petro politic within Libya has provoked arms rebellion against Khadaffi. Those issue in Libya and Yemen, has over shadow the main problems in that regions, which are lack of economic infrastructure, lack of administrative to support the economic, massive corruptions, poverty, low of healthy standard, inequality, etc. Meanwhile in Egypt and Tunisia those issue are the major topic.

  In Tunisia al-Nahda who won the 90 seats in the parliament is a moderate Muslim Party, al-Nahda gain support from moderate Muslim and minority group. The agenda of al-Nahda are economic and administrative reform. In Egypt the Ihkwanul Muslim won the parliament election. There are some factors why Ikhwan gain so many seats in the parliament. Firs they have a well support by the rural communities who fell the secular political system that has been run by Mubarak are the main cause of the social economic chaos in Egypt, even though that kind of supporters doesn’t really necessary agree with the Ihkwan Political agenda. Second, the secular and moderate Muslim in Cairo and other big cities in Egypt boycott the election due to the affair between the Ikhwan and the interim authority Gen. Tantowi. The secular and moderate Muslim demands the military to step from power before the election, they doesn’t want the military to host the election. The Military govern Egypt after Mubarak under SCARF (Supreme Council of the Armed Forces).

The secular, moderate Muslim and the minority Christian koptic, afraid the Ikhwan will apply the Sharia law and will reduce the right of minority Christian and secular, moderate Muslim. But the Ikhwanul Muslim leader said “they will cover the social-economic issue first before applying the sharia law.” Ikhwan indeed share the common view of Jasmine revolution, they realize that applying sharia law in short coming will damage their popularity, however the sharia law is the main political agenda for Ikhwan. But we also can see that there is an internal conflict within the Ikhwan, some members of Ikhwan is show a moderate attitude, named Abdel Moenim Abolfotoh a moderate doctor who have strong ties with Ikhwan. The darling of revolution Mr Elbaradei supports Mr Abolfotoh. “Abolfotoh is different, he listens to what you have to say. He is a conservative personally but does not want to impose his views on others.” – Elbaradei.

The process of the Egyptian Jasmine revolution is still long; it will include a dramatic and epic process. None of the organization in Arab whether based on Islam or Nationalism can avoid the tsunami revolution; it will shave all kind of social error and demand for new order.

Southeast Asia (ASEAN) can handle their own problem.

 

It is quite surprise on what Barrack Obama announced in Australia last Wednesday. He said that the US will boost military present in Australia in term of security in Asia Pacific. It will be about 2500 American troops in Darwin Australia about 500 miles from Indonesia; previously America has already put troops in Japan and South Korea, and don’t forget at the same day US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton assured the Philippine that the US will continue the 60^th years of mutual defense treaty with the Philippine, especially after the territorial disputes in the South China Sea with the China.

The US starts to worry about the China interest in Southeast Asia, and the conflict in South China Sea. The US has overreacted over the South China Sea conflict, the conflict should be manage by the ASEAN Nations and the China, for the rest three months they are entering a solid dialogue and show some progress, even though recently the Philippine offer a new proposal which is softly has been refused by most of the ASEAN Nations because its will slow down the present dialogue with China, the refusal of the Philippine proposal has show a sportive diplomacy ethic by the ASEAN toward the ASEAN International Relation.

In my perspective the US should look that as an important step for ASEAN in term of playing their role to keep peace in their region. Even the US have prominent ally such as Philippine in the region, they should allow the ASEAN and China resolve the conflict without the US intervention, because, definitely the China will wrath (which already) over the US intervention in South China Sea conflict. Anyway the China shows a good will toward their relation with ASEAN, they need ASEAN as an economic partner. I believe that’s what makes the US worried, the China passion over Southeast Asia for economic reason.

Everybody knows that US is on the edge of bankruptcy, if they doesn’t give a proper treatment for their economic problem and launch an effective economic policy. Maybe to tackle the China influence in Southeast Asia is one of the US economic and political policies.

Once again the US has overreacted about the China influence in Southeast Asia, indeed the China has the passion over this region but I don’t really sure that the China is “accepted” in the region, for example China products in Indonesia and Malaysia does not really get into the market, Indonesian and Malaysian prefer the common standard that they already familiar with, which is the standard that already introduced by the western and Japanese commodities. Some of vital industries such as mining and energy industries seem hard for the China Company to get a contract in the region except in Myanmar, the Chinese have a good relation with Myanmar.

I believe that the Southeast Asia Nations have their own perspective about how to accept China as a partner in economics and politics, and the US need to revise their foreign policy in Southeast Asia, boost a military power surrounding Southeast Asia and China will be not a good option, it will provoke tension in the region. The international communities in this particular matter are the ASEAN believes that they can handle the problem without any foreign intervention especially the US.

Apakah Israel akan menyerang Iran?

Bekas direktur Mossad yang mengundurkan diri pada tahun 2010 mengatakan bahwa Netanyahu dan Menteri Pertahanan Israel Ehud Barak berencana untuk menyerang Iran dalam waktu dekat, mungkin pada awal September tahun ini, berdekatan dengan pemilu di Palestina. Statement itu dikeluarkan oleh eks pejabat senior CIA yang pernah bertugas di Timur Tengah Robert Baer. Baer mengatakan itu pada sebuah acara televisi KPFK bertajuk Background Briefing di California.

Mantan Direktur Mossad tersebut adalah Mier Dagan kolega dekat Baer. Dagan yang terkenal sering mengkritik kebijakan luar negeri Netanyahu mengatakan bahwa, “kalau itu benar-benar terjadi, maka itu adalah hal paling bodoh yang pernah dilakukan”. Dagan juga mengungkapkan kepada Baer bahwa Netannyhu dan Barak adalah dua orang yang penuh ketakutan dan keinginan untuk berkonflik.

Pertanyaannya sekarang kenapa menyerang Iran?

Israel menyadari bahwa Iran adalah negara Timur Tengah yang memiliki akses dan pengaruh paling kuat ke beberapa non-state actor di Timur Tengah, seperti Hezbollah dan Hamas yang keduanya adalah musuh Israel, belum lagi Iran memiliki nafsu besar untuk berkuasa di Irak dan melalui lobi jaringan ulama Syiah. Hal ini ditambah oleh rencana Amerika sekutu dekat Israel untuk meninggal Irak.

Kemungkinan lain adalah sutuasi di Israel sendiri. Sudah menjadi sebuah rahasi umum apabila terjadi huru-hara di dalam negeri (seperti apa yang sedang terjadi sekarang di Israel) pemerintah Israel akan mengalihkannya dengan perang.

Israel berharap dengan memulai perang terhadap Iran mereka akan menarik kembali Amerika ke untuk berperang di Timur Tengah. Berperang di Timur Tengah disaat Amerika sedang menghadapi krisis ekonomi adalah sebuah pilihan sulit bagi Amerika, apalagi Obama tidak memberikan 100% dukungannya terhadap Israel. Tetapi kongres Amerika baik dari Demokrat atau Republik akan memaksa Obama untuk bergabung dalam perang melawan Iran.

Tapi ide itu adalah ide gila, bahkan menurut Dagan sendiri. Karena memulai perang di Timur Tengah akan menyebabkan krisis energi global yang akan berefek pada ekonomi dunia. Menurut Dagan Netanyahu ketakutan akan posisi Israel di dunia internasional yang mulai merosot, dari mulai kasus pembunuhan petinggi Hamas di Dubai, kapal Mavi Marmara dan laporan PBB terhadap pelanggaran HAM oleh Israel terhadap demonstran tak bersenjata di Lebanon.

Rezim-rezim otoriter di Timur Tengah yang mulai berjatuhan dan diganti oleh pemerintahan yang baru, yang jelas memiliki berpretensi tinggi untuk membentuk poros anti-Israel.

Sementara Eropa jelas sudah mulai gerah dengan prilaku Israel, terlihat dari kritik Uni Eropa terhadap kebijakan Israel yang memblokade bantuan untuk Palestina.

Amerika sekutu kuat Israel juga sedang memiliki masalah ekonomi, kalau tidak segera membatasi pengeluaran terutama pada sektor yang menghabiskan banyak uang seperti perang, Amerika hanya menunggu waktu menuju kebangkrutan. Kebijakan menarik mundur pasukan dari Irak dan Afghanistan adalah sebuah langkah taktis Obama. Sementara itu dia Obama mengangkat David Patreus sebagai Direktur CIA yang baru yang akan dilantik pada September ini, Patreus adalah mantan Jendral US dan NATO di Afghanistan dan terkenal loyal kepada Obama. Pengangkatan Petraeus sejalan dengan misi besar Obama untuk mengembalikan citra Amerika dimata Internasional, jelas perang baru tidak akan membantu misi Obama itu.

Walaupun ada kegilaan Netanyahu yang memungkinkan perang Israel-Iran, kemungkinan untuk terjadi perang tetap kecil, atau mungkin setidaknya tidak akan terjadi tahun ini, karena kalender Internasional sudah padat dengan revolusi di Timur Tengah dan huru-hara Eropa sampai musim dingin akhir tahun ini, terkecuali Israel sudah benar-benar tidak waras.

Soeharto’s family and colleague.

I don’t understand, why his children becoming so rich. – Lee Kuan Yew

Everybody knows that Soeharto’s children enter the business with unfair way. That’s way most of Indonesian economist believe that distrust public over Soeharto is mostly causes by unfair business that ran by his own children.

Soeharto as leader has shown a significant growth in economic, but his incapability to control his family and colleague to takes advantage from his power to develop their businesses is ruin his image as a successful leader, especially in south East Asia.

Soeharto family and colleague is also plays apart in government, like his daughter that becoming minister of social welfare, and some other name that fill strategic position in government. The government than fill by un capability person, impact on policies that they make is un effective to save the country from global economic crisis that spread to all South East Asia at that time, any way corruption is already in every sector in all department, makes the situation even worse.

People, who experience unfaithful situation from the economic crisis, fill all the street in Jakarta’s and start to make chaos. In 1998 Soeharto retreat from power, and replaced by his vice president, BJ Habibie that also known as soeharto most trust. Habibie is famous as a Muslim leader that full with honest, simply a right person to be a president, but the Soeharto opposite cannot share that view, they believe that Habibie is a Soehato’s doll, so in 1999 the opposite force Habibie to held a national election that bring Gus Dur as President.

Soeharto’s Families and colleagues is also retreat from power, even some of them still wanted power so badly, Mbak Tutut one of Soeharto’s daughter is founding a party that collapse in the next national election.  Indonesian people does respect Soeharto very much, but not his family and colleague, so after Soeharto not in reign any more, only a few of his family and colleague that still hold power in politic and business, but only mediocre politician or businessman.

About Bakrie Award.

Sitor Situmorang and Daoed Joesoef refused to receive Bakrie Award. Before them, there are Frans Magnis Suseno and Goenawan Mohammad who had return the award and all of the presents. The Bakrie Award has been run for 8 years. The Bakrie Award is given by Freedom Institute with full support of PT Visi Media Asia (VIVA) one of company that owned by Bakrie Group. It’s not only an award there is also a reward that amount 250 million rupiah.

Situmorang, Joesoef, Magnis and Goenawan refused the award because of political reason; they believe that Aburizal Bakrie should take responsibility on Sidoarjo Mud Tragedy that caused by unsafe drilling by Lapindo Brantas another company that owned by Bakrie Group. Aburizal Bakrie has state that he has no  guilty feeling at all, he believes that what happened in Sidoarjo was not his fault or Lapindo Brantas, that was a disaster caused by mother earth not his company.

The government has taken no action at all to Bakrie Group; it’s not weird because Aburizal Bakrie is the chairman of Golkar Party the third party that won national election last year, and he also a chairman of starring committee of Indonesia Coalition Party that support the government. The lack of firmness by the government, made most of Indonesian figure took action; they refused to accept Bakrie Award. Daoed Joesof said: “if name of the award is change, maybe I will accept it.” And he added “The hand of the person who gave that award is full with mud.”

Rizal Malaranggeng the Chairman of Freedom Institute feel that the person who refuses the award is missed conception about the award. In his opinion Bakrie Award has nothing to do with Bakrie Group. But many Indonesian people do not share that view. They believe that Bakrie Group have to take responsibility on Sidoarjo Mud Tragedy, moreover the Bakrie Group is notoriously known as a group of business that didn’t pay tax properly, even all of the Indonesian people know that Bakrie family live wealthy and happily. Daoed Joesof said “They are rich, why don’t they give some of their richness to the victims of Sidoarjo Mud.”

The refuses of some of Indonesian figures should have gave a straight punch to the Bakrie Group, so they will realize that Indonesian people disagree with how they threat the Sidoajo Mud Victims. Even though that effort is not under any legal action, at least it shows a moral point that cast light Indonesian feeling about Sidoarjo Mud Tragedy.